Halloween Songs? Bah, humbug.

So it seems some readers of this blog love their Halloween songs. All I can do is shake my head and make myself another olivetini.

Every Halloween, at our independent radio staton (KRCL, which is very cool), the programmers indulge in themed shows and play plenty of Halloween songs. It's better than Christmas music, I guess, but let me tell you: "Werewolves of London," not fun on endless eternal repeat.

Why are some holidays celebrated (overcelebrated) with music? Seems like the programmers throw together themed shows for all possible holidays. Christmas, Mother's Day, Father's Day, 4th of July, Halloween, Election Day, Valentines Day.

And is it any coincidence that the holidays with the most songs are also the most commercial? Nothing says "I love you, Dad!" like a new weed whacker. Nothing tells your mom how much you care like a blender. And what better way to tell your brother you love him than by buying him the election in Florida? Ho, ho, ho.

There are a few holidays associated with big sales at discount furniture stores. Want to remember Martin Luther King, Thomas Jefferson, and George Washington? Celebrate Memorial Day? Relax on Labor Day? Buy a new couch. But at least there aren't very many songs for those days.

Columbus Day, now that's a holiday. No songs, no Columbus Day decorations in the stores for two months before the big day. No need to buy a gift, and Hallmark doesn't make much money off Columbus. I just get the day off from work to peacefully contemplate European imperialism and the devastation wrought upon native populations.

That's my kind of holiday.

When I go home to New York for Christmas, my sister and her husband usually come, too. They bring a puzzle with them, a giant difficult 1,000 piece monster. While my father's in the kitchen drunkenly roasting a goose and preparing six other exquisite dishes for our feast, the rest of us hide out in the living room and work on the puzzle and listen to Christmas music and try to think of errands that will get us out of the house for a while. Finishing a puzzle means we can go buy another one, so we work fast.

It's taught me a lot about teamwork.

Speaking of puzzles, here's a terrific one. It's the cover of the Autumn Shimmer. Keep an eye on Mary's blog; she's got lots of goodies up her sleeve.